Simple though the core ingredients of Scotch might be when you get down to the heart of it, room for innovation abounds if one looks the category through a new lens.
That’s where The Glenlivet opens The Sample Room, which gives the famed Speyside distillery the opportunity to experiment with new processes and flavors — like revamped cask-finished iterations of The Glenlivet 21 and 25-Year, making their U.S. debut this fall.
The Glenlivet 21-Year-Old pushes the boundaries of what the distillery has done with the iconic whisky in the past, this time using a distinctive trio of finishing casks.
First-fill Oloroso sherry, Troncais oak Cognac and Vintage Colheita port casks all enter the equation, each leaving their mark in an impressive fashion on the 21-Year-Old (suggested retail price: About $230).
The use of cognac casks imparts notes of nutmeg and cinnamon, while an extra-smooth taste — including indulgent notes of caramelized pears — also awaits whisky lovers in a further attempt to push the boundaries of luxury Scotch.
“By merging the signature style of The Glenlivet with different cask finishes for layered
complexity, we’ve set new standards in taste and quality,” said The Glenlivet Distillery Expert Lisa Glen.
That’s not all that awaits Scotch enthusiasts: The Glenlivet also developed an augmented reality experience taking Scotch lovers inside The Sample Room itself, right from the phone in their hand.
The Glenlivet 25-Year-Old Single Malt (with an SRP of about $630) also benefits from the innovative approach undertaken in The Sample Room, gaining even more depth and nuance through the use of Pedro Ximénez sherry and Troncais oak Cognac casks.
The Glenlivet calls the final product “indulgently rich,” boasting notes of blood orange and sweet fig thanks to the PX sherry casks.
Meanwhile, finishing in Troncais oak Cognac casks opens up flavors like toasted oak and warming ginger, with a finish The Glenlivet describes as long and sweet, with gentle spice.
For good measure, each bottle and its handsome, bar cart-worthy box get an upgrade by playing on The Glenlivet’s teal color palette and using textured, embossed detailing throughout.
Each reimagined take on an iconic Scotch is more than deserving of space in your bar cart and your luxury whisky collection this season: Open The Sample Room and see what awaits.